There’s a place called Pipes Cafe in a small surfing neighborhood in Encinitas, CA. Cardiff by the Sea is known for its mellow vibes and serene coastline. When I step foot into Pipes I feel a timeless sense of accomplishment.

For the early part of the 2000s, the peace in Cardiff was disturbed by thirty young ballplayers grueling through a week of trials and tests. The first week in January each year was “hell week” for the University of San Diego Baseball program. Five days of sleep deprivation, cold water immersion, and competitive events would emanate from the beachside campsite where we’d sleep. We were split into two teams and a running “scoreboard” of the week’s challenges determined which team would carry four tires with them at all times as “motivation” (punishment). It always rained and we always got sick. Yes, it was always perfectly designed shared suffering, but the final event of the week always ended with us at Pipes Cafe.

FACT: If you were eating breakfast at Pipes, you had undoubtedly survived another year of hell week. I’m confident that few meals taste sweeter.

Today every visit down to San Diego and the obligatory breakfast stop at this cash only joint reminds me of the power of celebration and tradition. There’s a good chance if you’re reading this that you aren’t shying away from hard work and challenging stretch goals. There could be a chance, though, that you aren’t taking the time to commemorate these efforts. One of the best ways to continue to nurture yourself and promote continued peak performances is to build tradition around how you mark the completion of these challenging bouts.

Commend yourself when it’s due. Build a tradition into your life with how you celebrate remarkable efforts. Ideally, you’ll find yourself with a tradition you’d fight to uphold and ultimately more success.

5/20/20 WOD

Accumulate 30 alternating door-frame assisted pistols…

Then, AMRAP 20

Walking Lunges

Logan Gelbrich

Born in Santa Monica, Logan feels right at home coaching at DEUCE Gym. With a background in collegiate (University of San Diego) and professional (San Diego Padres) baseball, Logan is used to high performance, heavy workloads, and accountability.
Luckily, Logan was blessed enough to work with world renowned strength and conditioning coaches, sports psychologists, and nutritionists during his career. It’s during this time that the seeds were sown for the belief system that led him to both the CrossFit Games and Strongman Nationals. These experiences guide his coaching today.
Forever a “student of the game,” Logan is always looking to strengthen and question his understanding of humans. Today his work includes his best selling book, Going Right: A Logical Justification for Pursuing Your Dreams, and diverse offerings of education in leadership and group dynamics via the 'Hold the Standard' Summit, online education, and consultancy.